


One of the Lost Ones

by dudderbutter



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Angst, Dreams, Fantasy, Flashbacks, I honestly don't know how these tags work, Love/Hate platonic relationship, No Romance, No Sex either lmao good, Original Character(s), Platonic Relationships, Self-Insert, Shapeshifter kinda???, Visions, dreamworld au, mentions Maria but that's about it, not on purpose though, shadow the hedgehog - Freeform, stuff might change if I ever get back to this ahhhhhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:42:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25320316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dudderbutter/pseuds/dudderbutter
Summary: (AU) She never thought in her entire life so far that a single sentence starting with 'over fifty years ago,' could send a cold spark down her spine. But it did, and she didn't like it one bit. [Rating is General because there is very mild swearing and mentions of death. If I do continue though, it will change.]





	One of the Lost Ones

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my first ever story published here! All feedback is appreciated, no matter how critical it is. I hope you enjoy this read!
> 
> BUT before you start reading, let me give you some context to my OC/self -insert character and the world. I understand that OC's/self-inserts and other worlds can be incredibly annoying and underdeveloped, so before writing this, I'm drove deep into my creation to make this read at least tolerable for you guys. There will be missing plot holes and confusion while you read. I hope to reach out and finish them as well as clear up the confusion in the future so that everything goes around smoothly.
> 
> As basically explained as possible, this AU is built off of the world of dreams and the world of Reality (in other words, our world). Realitiors, people from the realm of Reality (us basically) can enter the DreamWorld via. deep sleep dreams and/or intense fever dreams. Not many Realitiors can enter the DreamWorld without sleeping, and each dreamer alters the DreamWorld in their own way. The DreamWorld is/can be built off of memories, thoughts, fears, symbols/metaphors, and personalities of each person who enters.
> 
> Madelyn, often called 'Maddie' (no one asks why her abbreviation is spelled like that instead of just 'Maddy'), happens to be a realitior stuck in the DreamWorld infiltrated with her creations from her subconscious. Maddie also has taken the same form as Shadow the Hedgehog, whom she's never met or seen before this story (this takes place after a few weeks or so of meeting each other). She is destined to carry around a red amulet which symbolizes that she is the "Hero of the DreamWorld", who saves the world of dreams from evil entities who try to corrupt it (I may just write a big Prologue story to all of this).
> 
> Wow-za! That was a lot to go through, but I hope that gives you some context as to what's happening in this story. Proceed to read!

The soft murmur of static passed through the air as Maddie watched the weather on the television set mindlessly. Fortunately, during her in-and-out listen, the residents of the nearby city shouldn't see any cloudy days since there was not a single chance of rain on the week's forecast. She didn't know whether to feel joy over such pleasant weather or uneasy by how this has been the fourth week in a row that it's been perfect. It was as if she were walking in figure eight, a constant loop of sorts. Is it worth being in a flawless world if there were no flaws or reason to flaw?

Maddie noted to herself the time displayed on the screen that it was already near rest hours, but she didn't feel the need to sleep. The mutant-like hedgehog that copied her form and resided in this little blue house, who called himself Shadow, claimed that time worked differently in this dream-like world. Hours ticked away like a few minutes. It gave her the impression that her world seemed similar to this one in terms of beating the clock before it strikes.

Her hand traveled toward the gemstone that rested in her fluff of white fur. She thought to herself, out of everyone in her world-Reality-or whatever they called it, why her? Why would the people of this dream universe call upon her to fend off some dark lord named 'Jestavy' they cowered over? All this training that she and Shadow have done…why couldn't he fight off evil while she dwelt around the world like the previous visitors? Certainly, he should be able to take care of himself just fine. How was she so needed? She couldn't have been that special, could she?

Abruptly, Maddie heard a loud alarm go off somewhere in the house, instantly putting her on alert. Frantically, she bounced off the couch and darted her eyes across the room to see the source or any type of hazard etching across the walls of where she stood. Besides the vintage television set, light-dimmed kitchen, and staircase, all seemed well. No fires. No floods. No intruders. But there was no alarm mechanism anywhere in sight either.

It echoed and stretched through her head as if she were standing right next to it. Her pointed ears didn't lower in pain so she clasps both her hands on each side to try and block out the noise. The screeching became worse as she clenched her teeth. Her breaths became heavy as if she were suffocating in a room…No no. A long, endless hallway with metal walls and electric currents running throughout to keep the place alive. Footsteps slammed on the metallic floor. But, she could hear more than just hers. Maddie swore she could smell the place as well. Steel, a good kind of steel and nothing from a metal workshop she once walked through when she was still in high school. Steel that, she didn't think she's smelled before.

The siren and vision disappeared just as quickly as it came. Her body hunched over in a tight bundle with her arms wrapped around her torso. She breathed heavy and felt sweat try to climb out of her silken forehead. Eyes dancing about, what the hell just happened to her? Was it a panic attack? Maddie's never had a panic attack. Ever. Though she remembered when she was much younger, her father would sometimes have them at work or during stressful situations at home. Was it hereditary?

Her attention turned to the much lighter footsteps approaching down the hall near the end of the living room. Crimson eyes met her gaze, with large ebony spikes protruding out the sides of his head. She hadn't realized till now that Shadow's eyes seemed to illuminate very dimly in darker areas. It evoked a similarity to the amulet she bared.

He analyzed her, his posture as proper and rigid as it had been from the moment they both met. "Is everything alright?" She couldn't help but feel a sense of whim but disturb from the sound of his voice. It was monotonous and soft but carried an ominous presence wherever he went.

Maddie swallowed in an attempt to cool herself from thoughts spiraling about, "I think I had some sorta," she couldn't find the exact words for it. She licked her lips in a swift motion before continuing. "…Vision?"

Shadow was at least a few centimeters higher (or perhaps an inch taller, she wasn't the most excelled at measurements in school) than she was. She had to look up just slightly to meet the other's eye. It made her a little envious at the difference, but not too much to even mention it. There were also many other distinctions between them, like how he had rings that held onto his cuffs and shoes while she didn't. Additionally, she had neatly trimmed and shorter chest hair than his overgrown, unkempt fluff.

His face took on a look of puzzlement as his frown deepened. "Vision?"

Maddie had already straightened herself and took a seat on the moss couch once more. Her gloved fingers moved around the right side of her temple, trying to register the sudden event. "I…I was running in some hallway." She said, catching a glance at him on the left before looking back down at the grey carpet. "The whole place was basically made out of metal. I think it was some factory? There was also this really loud siren, literally pulsing through my eardrums like I was too frozen to move away from it. There was someone else running with me too, but I couldn't get a look at them. It felt like I was in low-budget thriller if you ask me."

She turned to look at him to see if he caught her last statement, only to find his eyes downcast and position shifted. It was difficult to indicate what emotions were passing through Shadow ever since the first encounter over four weeks ago. Once in a while, his eyes would project feelings of irritation when she couldn't get the swing of the sword right. Or not correctly activate the clunky, rocket boots. But most of the time, Maddie saw him still and unmoved than any other person she's met. Yet again, it gave her the unsettled feeling that something wasn't right. Something was certainly out of place. It was quite relieving that he had given some sort of emotional reaction to her description than just stare blankly into no man's land.

Shadow gave out an exhausted sigh before proceeding to sit on the other dusty grey sofa in front of him near the one Maddie sat on. Giving him some time to think, she turned her attention to the nightly news. A stereotypical spokeswoman was just outside the square of the nearby city both of them had visited frequently to purchase groceries. Even in her dreams, the world was just as complex as Reality.

After a few minutes, he spoke, "I have seen many things that you have not about this world."

Maddie was already holding the television remote in her hands, immediately turning the screen off at his sentence. She shifted to look at him, his eyes still downcast. He was trailing his gloved finger on the cushions he sat upon, giving her a minute to register his utterance.

"There is loss." He locked gazes with her brown irises, one of the more obvious differences to their appearances. "…Misery. There even is one thing they will never tell you about: death. All of these feelings and events exist in the DreamWorld whether you want them to or not. That is what all realitiors think so that is what they will present to their dreams."

Shadow's eyes adjusted to the ground, taking in a moment to regain his composure. Meanwhile, Maddie was more than eager to listen to his wisdom of the dream-like world. His teachings and clarifications helped clear the confusion given to her the moment she first arrived. It made her feel knowledgeable, a good feeling that eases her worries away. It also showed a bit of human in him, even if he was an anthropomorphic hedgehog, and that put her more at rest.

"I should have told you this much sooner," he started up again. "But I was wary of doing so. Now I feel is the right time to before any more questions come from your mouth."

With this, he turned his gaze to the nearest window by the hallway he came from, studying the setting sky. Maddie saw him swallow something in his throat before he proceeded to tell her everything she needed to know.

\----------------------------------------------

She never thought in her entire life so far that a single sentence starting with 'over fifty years ago,' could send a cold spark down her spine. But it did, and she didn't like it one bit.

"According to the Reality timezone, that is," Shadow gave a little huff of either annoyance or somnolence, it was mildly difficult to tell. "A classified research project led on by Professor Gerald Robotnik took place on the Space Colony ARK."

"You mean that big ol' space shuttle that seems so far away, right?" Maddie said, pointing her covered finger to the ceiling. "Glad I'm not the only one who saw that." Although she didn't want to interrupt such a serious moment, she'd like to get a little context for the upcoming story.

He gave a firm nod before crossing his arms as if it were second nature. "The project was for experimenting immortality and eventually finding a cure to the most fatal of diseases. Many people on the ARK worked together to create the 'Ultimate Lifeform', an entity that would live a prolonged life to help those in need. Although the public's eye did not catch the light on the program, the ones funding the operation did. GUN or the 'Guardians of United Nations', who stood by the government's side, deemed the whole thing to be lethal once the final product was complete. They shut the affair as quickly as they could, and only a few survived that day."

Maddie pondered at the whole picture. Questions sparked and her thoughts became a wildfire. Why would the DreamWorld need immortality if it was all just a dream? How come she's never seen or heard of any higher authority around the city or on the news? Were there really illnesses in this universe? Was this all made up in her head or was it real? Real, real?

Instantaneously, a realization appeared before her. "You…," she didn't want to stumble over words, so she took this time to find them. "…Are you the final product?" It came out in a whisper, but she could see his ruby eyes connect with hers.

Shadow fell in silence for a while, leaving both of them to their thoughts. From day one, Maddie got the message that he was an incredibly independent creature. He'd often just not finish a sentence or not continue to argue. It was also quite rare for him to make a conversation in the first week of her residence. She supposed that for both of them to converse in their training, he'd have to take the lead in due course.

"Yes," his voice held a loose grip than the firmness he usually carried. "I am the 'Ultimate Lifeform', whether the world wants me or not."

She lifted the amulet by the thin, velvety string. The gemstone still sitting square on her chest hair. Her eye ridges furrowed, unaware of her lack of 'eyebrows'. "Then how come you're not the special hero? You got all the power and skill unlike me!"

"The amulet decides who wears it. You just happened to be the right one."

Maddie opened her mouth to argue against the reasoning, but no words of aggravation came out. She quickly shut her trap as soon as it opened, crossing her arms in impatience and tapping her bulky foot on the carpeting.

"…So, how does any of this have to do with my weird episode?"

Shadow shook his head slightly in his thinking before answering. In a soft-spoken voice with his arms crossed. "You…were on the ARK. You were escaping the facility before GUN could take you and-," she saw him wince at the sheer memory of what he went through. Then she saw her:

A flash of golden, voluminous hair held together by a sky-colored headband filled her vision. Eyes that reflected off the ocean and a smile that spoke thousands of kind nothings. She wore a sapphire, short puffy-sleeved dress that reached her knees. As well as cobalt low heel pumps. Maddie swore she could reach out and touch her. Yet something held her back. Something was blocking her way.

A gunshot rang from the air, causing her to yelp in shock. The image vanished before her eyes, causing her to double-take on her current surroundings. Her hands were clutching the fabric of the moss cushions. "What the hell was that?" She shrieked. Wide eyes looked at Shadow.

"Maria," he spoke the name like a plea as quiet as a whisper. His expression and head were sunken. She noticed how his ears nearly drooped in the sudden emotions he was going through. "Ma…Maria. I…I was escaping with Maria before they…,"

He did not finish the sentence. She supposed he did not need to.

She let him have a moment to himself. Although she would have liked to help him relieve and put the thoughts to rest, she wasn't sure how to do it. Maddie was no therapist, that's for sure. But if her colleagues had ever been put into a state of distress, she would find ways to make them happy again the best she could. The loss of loved ones was different for her, however. Especially if she couldn't empathize with them depending on who it was that passed. She wished she could have said it wasn't one of those cases, but alas.

A loss of a friend feels more hollow than any other loss. It's as though someone had ripped a part of one's soul. A person that inspired her-leaving only a pit of what is now guilt. The guilt of what? Guilt that she couldn't stop it. Guilt that will haunt her every day until she dies. Guilt that she could have prevented but wasn't feeling up to it. Guilt that she was too much of a coward and self-absorbed junkie to help a forgotten friend climb from the hole of despair.

What felt like forever only took a few minutes before Shadow continued. Although his expression held firm, there was still the glint of sorrow in his crimson eyes. "You were me. You were experiencing what I was while escaping on the ARK. I apologize. It seems our thoughts happen to be closely intertwined with each other."

Maddie studies him hard and takes a quick glance down at the ruby-like gemstone. "Do you think it's the amulet?" She said, low

"Perhaps," he says, looking out the same window near the hall. "Or maybe it's because we look almost identical." He examines the clock near the kitchen before advising her to get some sleep, promptly exiting the living room and leaving out the front door.

She sat in her quietude after he left. She thought of the orbiting space station, breaking free from military hands, the girl she's never seen before. The images became memories. Memories she's never had before until now.

Even though she had many questions swimming through her head, she decided against asking Shadow for more details. She didn't want to upset him again. After going through all that, Maddie knew she wouldn't want to tell some stranger about it either. However, as he had mentioned, it needed to get cleared up. To do it as soon as possible seemed like the better choice than waiting with still many unanswered queries. Especially from one's new teacher.

She sauntered down the hall into the guest room she slept during her unrequited stay. The majority of the house's walls colored with white, cloudy grey, or tan, so nothing new was found in her room. Maddie had already gathered and organized belongings she had bought or seen during her prolonged visit in the DreamWorld. It all seemed to bring her to the room a bit more. Otherwise, she would have gone insane with the white walls and boring wooded flooring, as well as the lack of furnishings. The only thing that was in the room at the time was a lone bed with a charcoal duvet cover which often kept her sweating profusely throughout the nights. She'd rather wake up drenched then wake up bitterly freezing, nevertheless, so she didn't complain.

The two of them installed a humidifier not only to moisten the air but to draw her soundly asleep. They also set up a dresser in the room, despite how neither of them wore clothes. No one had told them they had to wear shirts and pants. Maddie supposed that shoes were the only required form of wear to provide service instead of other clothing. She often stored extra socks in the dresser, photos, and slips of paper too. If not for her, it barely got any use.

Turning on the humidifier, she bounced onto the bed and got comfy, taking off the heavy rocket shoes and snuggling under the cover. This had been the new normal for about almost a month now, or at least a 'dream month' according to the time zone. While she had certainly come a far way, a part of her ached for going home and another part ached for staying. She knew she couldn't just leave, especially with all the responsibilities she instantly carried. Shadow would no doubt find her in the long run, too. The real question to ask was why she even wanted to leave. After all, this is the world of dreams. Practically anything could happen if one set their mind to it. Going back to Reality meant going back to her run-of-the-mill computer support job, going back meant facing the future. A future she didn't know would exist at all.

Images of the young girl who Shadow had grown up with appeared in Maddie's mind. The girl he called Maria had lulled the realitior to sleep in the world of dreams, with a nostalgic wrench in her stomach all throughout the night.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Yonkers, that was a doozy! I'm not sure if I'll continue this story, I thought it would be just a one-shot thing but I might just make a whole collection of one-shots. I don't know yet.
> 
> Also yes, people can sleep in the world of dreams, but usually, when a visitor comes, they automatically wake up whereas Maddie can't exactly because she 'stuck' there (if yeah get what I mean).
> 
> Please be sure to leave feedback and whatever else you do on here! It is very much appreciated and helps continue my path as a writer! Thanks for reading!
> 
> \- Dudder Butter


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